


The Goofball and The Loner in New Lions

by natigail



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Compliant, Episode Related, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Leadership, M/M, New Lions, Season/Series 03, Self-Doubt, Team Dynamics, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-11
Updated: 2017-08-18
Packaged: 2018-12-14 04:40:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11775693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/natigail/pseuds/natigail
Summary: Despite how often they butted heads, Keith and Lance had a lot of things in common. Lately, one seemed more noteworthy than others: Doubting themselves.Lance was doubted, as always, whether he measured up to his teammates or if he should step aside for the greater good, even though the notion broke his heart. Keith doubted whether he was capable of following in Shiro’s footsteps as the leader of Voltron, even if that was exactly what the previous leader had wanted.While learning the existence of a new foe, saying goodbye to old Lions and embracing new ones, mourning the loss of Shiro and being reunited with him, the two boys might just find they didn’t need to doubt themselves so harshly.Based on episodes from season 3: Changing of the Guard, Red Paladin, The Hunted and Tailing a Comet.





	1. The Uncertain Pilot

It felt like all of this started with a hand on Keith’s shoulder.

Keith had been unrelenting in his search for Shiro. He’d practically abandoned all Voltron responsibilities to jet off in his Lion in search of their missing friend.

Lance didn’t blame him. They all missed Shiro so very much. It felt like they were missing a limb and as Shiro had been their leader, their head, it was a devastating loss. Keith had found Shiro before and Lance was begging to whatever gods might be listening that Keith would be able to do it again.

But they could only entertain this for so long. Keith didn’t seem to sleep or rest at all. Their new allies all wanted to see legendary Voltron but the Black Lion still lay crashed on its platform, pilotless.

Lance wasn’t sure whether it was him that managed to change Keith’s mind. Instantly, Pidge, Hunk and the others had stepped behind him, nudging Keith to accept the sad reality that neither of them really wanted to face. They needed a new paladin. None of them were ready to accept that Shiro might have been dead and they would not stop looking for him but this had to stop.

Lance felt like they had lost two members with Shiro’s disappearance. And when those two were the best pilots of the team it had hurt them a lot. Once upon a time, Lance would never have admitted that he thought Keith was a better pilot than he was, even with test scores to prove it, but things were different now.

“You’re not the only one hurting, man. We’re all right there with you. But you know that he would be the first one to tell us that we have to move on,” Lance said.

Keith’s eyes seemed to look through him but at least they were more attentive and alive than they’d been in weeks. Keith agreed and Lance wanted to do a little victory dance but refrained. They had a long way to go.

One didn’t just find a paladin floating around in space, so obviously it was more logical for the existing paladins and Allura to try and make contact with the Black Lion. Discussion had arisen about who should pilot the head of Voltron.

It stung a bit to know that if it happened, he’d have to leave trusted Blue behind to another pilot, but Lance wanted to be the one anyway. He felt like he needed to prove himself to his teammates. He’d show them that he was the sharpshooter and not the goofball.

When his turn came and he began walking towards the big lion, he found his thoughts drifting briefly to Keith. It did seem an awfully convenient time for him to mention that Shiro had intended for Keith to pilot the Black Lion, but despite his words, Lance didn’t think that Keith would lie. Not about something like this. Probably not about anything, come to think of it.

And the odd thing was, he hadn’t sounded like he’d wanted the job or the “glorious burden” like Allura had called it. He sounded almost mad at Shiro for entrusting that responsibility to him. Lance had felt the envy in his stomach that had turned his expression sour. Keith had everything he always wanted and the ungrateful bastard didn’t even want it. He was arguably the best pilot on the team. He was smart, even though he hesitated to show it. Him and Shiro had a special bond that Lance had always wanted.

As he reached the cockpit, he shook thoughts of Keith from his head, which was easier said than done. The Lions chose their pilots. He just had to convince the Black Lion that he was just as worthy to sit here as Shiro, its former paladin, and Keith, who had piloted it once before.

Lance sighed to calm his nerves.

“Okay, you can do it. This is your moment,” he said out loud and gripped tightly onto the controls. It felt very different from sitting in Blue, which had felt like coming home, but Lance gave it his best shot.

It didn’t work.

“It’s useless. The Black Lion hates all of us,” Lance grumbled, sat cross-legged outside of the Black Lion afterwards. It stung harder than he had thought it would. It felt like a confirmation that he wasn’t good enough to be part of the team. He knew that was ridiculous because it had rejected Pidge and Hunk too and he definitely thought they were worthy of being on the team regardless.

It had rejected all of them, with the exception of the only one who had yet to try. Keith looked apprehensive about it but he geared up and walked in.

Lance might have pulled the communication out of his helmet and turned it on to listen in subtly. He heard Keith sigh deeply and when he spoke it was so quiet.

“I know you wanted this for me, Shiro. But I’m not you. I can’t lead them like you.”

Lance frowned upon hearing Keith’s words. They didn’t expect Keith to lead them like Shiro had. They were different people. Shiro had some strengths and Keith had others. Admittedly, Lance was deeply worried how Keith would be able to adapt when he couldn’t just jet off on a reckless solo mission like he had a tendency to do.

“Please, no,” could be heard on the line, this time an actual whisper as the Black Lion started moving and got to its feet. It roared and something uncomfortable settled in Lance’s stomach.

Keith would be the leader of Voltron. Everything would be different now. Keith exited and he looked defeated and sad rather than triumphant and arrogant, as Lance would have assumed based on the time before he got to properly know Keith.

The others said congratulations but Lance didn’t pay attention to that. He studied Keith’s apprehensive face and knew what he wanted to say the moment he opened his mouth.

“No, I don’t accept this,” Keith said.

Soft gasps came from everyone in the group, except Lance.

“You must. The Black Lion has chosen you,” Allura said with her decision making voice.

“I can’t replace Shiro! You guys were right. I’m the loner. I’m not the leader Shiro thought I was,” Keith argued.

He sounded angry but there was a tremble to him that Lance recognized all too well. He didn’t think that confident, brilliant Keith was capable of doubting himself but there it was. He couldn’t even bare to see Keith struggle like that. It made his chest clench uncomfortably.

Lance knew what he had to do. Keith didn’t say it out loud but his eyes would always drift towards every member of the team who didn’t give any kind of acknowledgement in situations like this. It was usually Lance, who was reluctant to jump on board with Keith’s reckless notions and preferred to make fun of them instead.

But now he simply stepped forward and placed his left hand on Keith’s shoulder. Keith had been staring angrily at the floor, hands balled into fists and he startled at the gentle touch of Lance’s hand. Lance tried not to read into how Keith’s face softened as the boy looked up slightly to meet his eyes.

“Keith, no one can replace Shiro. But the Black Lion wouldn’t choose anybody it didn’t feel was worthy to lead Voltron. I respect its choice. And you should too.”

It was as sincere and honest as he was capable of being and he smiled when some of the tension eased out of Keith and he looked a little less burdened. He never wanted Keith to doubt himself like that. He knew from experience how horrible it was.

“But who’s going to fly the Red Lion?” Keith wondered out loud, switching conversation topic as he had often did when something they talked about made him feel vulnerable.

Allura tried to make a connection with Red but it didn’t work. Lance recounted what he knew of the temperamental Red Lion that he had admired time and time again. Faster and more agile than the others but also more unstable, just like its paladin who now had to bid it farewell. Its pilot had to rely more on instincts than skill alone and Keith had both things in spades.

When the distress call came, Lance was thankful that he had been heading down to trusted Old Blue rather than going to the Black Lion. Keith would do great things with the biggest of the Lions but Lance knew about the bond between a paladin and their Lion. It would hurt immensely for Keith to leave Red behind.

Lance would soon enough learn the pain of having to leave his first Lion behind. Blue didn’t open its defense shield no matter how much he begged, apologized, groveled or flirted. Nothing could shake the stoic Lion and Lance felt the little bubble of doubt he always carried around with him expanding with every passing second.

He had secretly always feared that there would be a day when this glorious adventure was over. He’d feared that Blue would reject him, just like it was happening now, and he would be powerless to do anything to change this.

Lance felt like a second rate cargo-pilot again.

The distress in his friends’ voices were pulling him apart and when Keith ordered him to join them, he wanted nothing more than comply but Blue seemed intend to shut him out. When Allura arrived, he felt even more like a helpless child.

“Lance, what’s wrong?” Allura asked.

“I don’t know. Blue is shutting me out. Maybe Pidge was right. I am just a goofball. Not only am I not meant to be the leader, I guess… I guess now I’m not even meant to be a paladin,” Lance said, voicing his worst fears out loud.

Suddenly, a roar could be heard throughout the ship. It surely hadn’t come from Blue and the only other Lion still on the ship…

“What was that?” Lance asked, even though he was fairly certain that he knew.

“It’s the Red Lion. You must go to it,” Allura urged.

“No way. Keith probably trained it to bite my head off,” Lance commented and he wouldn’t put it past his teammate. “Maybe it’s roaring for you.”

“I would love nothing more than for that to be true, but I know the Red Lion is not meant for me. It is choosing you,” she said with a certainty that Lance didn’t understand how she could possess.

“I don’t understand.”

“My father built Voltron, but he knew Zarkon was the better leader in battle, so he became Voltron’s right hand. Lance,” Allura placed her hand on his shoulder, much like he had done to Keith not long ago, “when you accepted Keith as the new leader of Voltron, it proved that you value a strong team over your own need for glory. Just like my father.”

“I won’t let him down,” Lance said with renewed purpose, grabbing his helmet and running off.

Red opened for him instantly and Lance didn’t hide the smug smile at that. Keith had struggled so much with getting Red to accept him initially but Lance was allowed to stroll right in.

The Lion that had once been Keith’s felt a lot smaller than Blue. The controls were slightly different too, but Red’s presence reassured him and the Red Lion obliged as he asked it to take off.

He arrived just in time to help them out. Keith was clearly struggling with giving out orders and Lance was struggling with controlling a Lion that was much faster than his previous one. It felt glorious to be shooting through space though.

“Whoo-hoo! Boy, this lion can move!”

“Hey! Be careful with Red,” Keith warned in a possessive growl.

He might have accepted that the Black Lion had chosen him but he had not yet let go of Red. Lance could understand why but he didn’t miss an opportunity for a little teasing.

“Oh, fly your own Lion, Keith,” he shot back, only to be propelled forward as a fighter crashed into Red because he hadn’t been paying attention. “I meant to do that.”

“Wow, we’re really kind of a mess.” Pidge said, always the voice of reason. “We need to get organized. Keith, what should we do?”

“I don’t know. We need to form Voltron but we’re short a Lion.”

Keith sounded almost anxious. Lance wondered if there was anything he could do to offer him reassurance.

“Not anymore,” Allura’s voice suddenly said on their communication line.

“Huh?”

Lance had not prepared for seeing Blue, his beloved Lion, with a new pilot so soon. It stung and it made him very aware of how he was sitting in a foreign Lion too. Blue had rejected him and accepted Allura instead. With her arrival, the fleet and Lotor’s ship retreated but Lance counted it a small blessing.

They were not ready for a fight like this, even if it would appear that they now had five members again.

Lance lingered in Red’s hanger afterwards. He was almost out the door when he remembered that he’d placed his blue bayard next to Red’s seat as he had brought it with him without thinking. He needed to get it and hand it over to Allura. It was hers to wield now and he’d have to get his new one from Keith, whenever their new leader thought of it.

He was just about to walk back in when Keith came through the smaller service door into the hanger. Lance almost called attention to himself but stopped in his tracks when he saw Keith’s expression.

“Hey Red,” Keith said and with that little greeting the defense shields around the Lion lowered. It really wasn’t fair that Keith had just a natural draw to most of the Lions. Lance had often wondered if Blue would have let Keith pilot, after all Keith was the one who had found it and he been the one to first describe the weird telekinetic connection before they knew what it was.

But Keith didn’t make a move to enter his old Lion. Red had lowered its head but Keith merely stopped to press his hand against the armor.

“I’m not Shiro, Red. I’m still the red paladin, or at least I feel that way. You and I… together we made a great team. You’ve come to rescue me when I was floating in the atmosphere. I can always count on you to have my back. Will it be the same with the Black Lion?”

The Red Lion rumbled in reply.

“I know I have the team. But I cannot lead them. I don’t know how Shiro did it. If I just charge ahead without thinking like…” Keith stopped speaking abruptly and Lance found himself fixed in place by a deadly stare.

“What are you doing here?” Keith bit out.

Lance stepped forward awkwardly. “I just forgot the blue bayard in Red. I wanted it to hand to Allura, since she’s Blue’s paladin now.”

Keith’s face fell and Lance wondered if he didn’t wear much the same expression. Neither had really considered ever having to give up their Lions before this whole thing was over.

Keith unclipped the red bayard from his belt and presented it to Lance. “Then I guess you should have this instead.”

Lance carefully closed his fingers around the weapon in Keith’s tight grip. He loosened it suddenly and Lance almost dropped the bayard.

“Thanks. It’s weird… flying Red. It still feels like your Lion,” Lance said.

“It’s not,” Keith said and there was a hard edge in his voice. “I’m not its paladin anymore. The Lions get to chose their pilots but the pilots apparently have little choice in the matter.”

With that Keith stormed off and Lance didn’t know if he should chase after him or leave him be. He deliberated for too long and had to hope the latter choice was the best one. He retrieved the blue bayard and momentarily had fun swinging around with his old energy rifle in one hand and the new weapon, a modified sniper rifle that would be his new weapon.

He headed to Blue’s hangar because seeing Keith have a heart-to-heart with his former Lion had given him the urge to do the same. This time, Blue lowered its shield when he first approached.

““Well, Old Blue, we sure had some fun adventures, didn’t we? I wanted to stay with you but sometimes what we want isn’t necessarily what we get. I’m going to miss you, buddy.”

Allura emerged in a paladin suit, in pink.

“Pink, huh? Nor what I was expecting, but I like it,” Lance said.

“Yes. On Altea, we wear this color to honor our fallen warriors. I wear it to honor the paladins of old. And Shiro.”

“This belongs to you now,” he said and offered her the blue bayard. “If I had to lose Blue to someone, I’m glad it was you.”

He meant that very sincerely. He had come to love Blue in a fashion he didn’t know was possible with a vehicle but the Lions were more than just machines and they all knew that. He hoped Keith felt the same way about leaving his beloved Red to Lance. After all they had been through, he hoped Keith felt the same kind of trust Lance did between them.

The alert for the Black Lion leaving the castle instantly worried Lance. Keith was being impulsive and that usually lead to some of his less than smart ideas.

“I put a tracker on Lotor’s ship. Tell everyone to get their Lions. We’re going after them.” Keith said over the communication line. “You wanted me to lead Voltron? This is how I lead.”

“Quiznak,” Lance cursed under his breath but made a beeline straight for Red anyway.

It quickly became apparent that it was a horrible idea. Allura couldn’t even maneuver Blue without crashing into one of the other every other minute. Lance was still getting used to the sensitivity of Red due to its speed and though Keith was exceedingly quiet, Lance knew he must be struggling with handling the Black Lion too. It was Hunk who voiced his worries.

“Mmm, is attacking right now such a good idea? You know since not everyone is so great with their Lions?”

“Do you mean me specifically?” Allura asked, sounding more insecure than Lance had ever heard her.

“You? No, No way, I didn’t…” Hunk said, clearly trying to keep from offending the Altean princess. “I’m just simply pointing out that more than half the team are in new Lions. Maybe now’s not a great time to bite off more than we can chew.”

“You can blame our hot-headed leader for that one,” Lance said and made side eyes at Keith though he wouldn’t be able to see that.

“First you want me to lead, and then you complain about how I do it,” Keith just grumbled in response.

Their new fearless and reckless leader was not to be reasoned with. Lotor’s ship one sent out one single fighter, manned by Lotor himself, and even then they struggled with five to one. It was embarrassing.

Lance kept speeding past his targets and more than once he wished Red had some kind of breaks to help him take the edge of. Oppositely, Keith struggled with the slower Lion after having been used to Red’s agility that Lance now struggled so much with. Allura was the biggest disaster of them all but this was her second flight and none of the others had been very good at it in the beginning either.

Compared to them, she’d actually been doing extremely well.

“Keith, what should we do?” Pidge asked, desperately trying to get him to come up with an actual plan.

“How about this? Everybody stay out of my way,” Keith commanded.

“Great. Great leadership,” Lance said sarcastically.

It was such a Keith thing to want to run off and fix everything by himself. He had gotten a lot better at team work after joining Voltron, at least compared to their Garrison days where he hadn’t talked to a soul, but there was still a long way to go.

The chased down Lotor’s fighter because Keith took off and ignored the rest of them. When the communication cut out and they were essentially flying in blind on the gas planet, Lance had a sinking feeling in his stomach that this was a trap. He knew Keith had to be considering the same thing, even if he didn’t act like it.

Allura took a bad hit and Lance winced as Blue flung from rock to rock taking considerable damage. Her inexperience in flying a Lion showed now but Keith just kept flying forward in pursuit of Lotor.

Even Allura’s shouts for help of the crackling communication line didn’t change the Black Lion’s course.

Hunk, who really was the heart of the team, ignored Keith and turned back for Allura who had fallen behind. Keith ordered Pidge and Lance to stay with him, and they did to begin with.

Pidge had been the one pleading to Keith’s sanity and reason more than any other but seemed to have given up now, which meant that Lance had to try.

“We have to go back for Allura,” Lance said.

Keith didn’t make a sound to suggest he’d even heard him but Lance knew he had. The three of them was still close enough to be within range, even with the gas effecting their equipment. But they had already lost audio contact to Allura and Hunk and their sensors were dead. If they lost visual contact in here they might be lost for good.

“Keith, you’re splitting up the team!” Lance tried again, more desperately this time. He thought he heard Keith groan but nothing else.

The last time Lance had asked Keith to do something, he’d strolled right through the door and acted like he hadn’t heard him at all. He’d gotten himself in trouble with the witch over the vials of quintessence. Lance feared this might end even worse.

“Keith, don’t do this!” Lance pleaded.

Keith shouted but then miraculously listened and diverted his Lion to go back towards Allura and Hunk. Lance and Pidge followed while exhaling breaths of relief.

The relief didn’t last long at all though. Keith was still pissed and determined to continue this foolish course of action. Lance knew it was because of this new leader position that Keith was so out of whack.

He didn’t think he was a capable leader for the team but unfortunately, this overdid it and he was making his worst nightmares come true. Lance knew Keith could do much better than this and he had no doubt that Keith could be a great leader, if only he stopped stressing over it so much.

He needed to be more like he’d been when they’d first become paladins and he’d been chosen to pilot Red. He’d trusted his instincts to do what was right and now it seemed he didn’t listen to his instincts one bit.

He was too focused on the task to realize how he was tearing the team apart instead of leading it. Keith should stop doubting himself. If they weren’t lost on a gas planet with a Galra prince obviously toying with them, Lance might have stopped to talk some sense into Keith. If anything would make it through his thick skull.

Keith pretended that he didn’t need the approval of anyone but he did need it from his team, whether he realized so or not.

Allura sincerely apologized for holding them back, probably because she could sense Keith’s rage.

“It’s okay. We’re a team. We stick together. Isn’t that right, Keith?” Lance commented to remind Keith of that fact.

“It’s not about the team. We have a mission that’s more important than any one of us. We need to find Lotor and stop him and I plan on doing that right now,” Keith announced and then he was jetting off on his own again.

He really should stop doing that. They all had the same goal. They all wanted to help. Lance felt like seeing the tail of the Black Lion indirectly showed them how Keith didn’t trust them to get the job done.

It felt as if Keith didn’t trust Lance’s and the other capabilities and it hurt when that was Lance’s worst fear. Still, he swallowed down the hurt.

“Come on, guys. We’d better stick together.”

The four other paladins followed after Keith and the Black Lion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved the new season of Voltron so much! And all the interactions between Lance and Keith were so great so I had to compile this little piece. It will be a two parter and finish with a chapter in Keith's point of view. I'm posting that in a week, on Friday. Let me know what you think?


	2. The Hesitant Leader

Keith felt terrible for leading the team in here. It had been another trap. This whole planet was one large trap. Not only was the gas messing with their communication, they found out the painful way that the gas ignited when they fired at Lotor’s fighter.

What had once been the tight and secure circle, Keith had ordered them into, was instead all of the lions flying off in different directions. Lance had been the voice of reason to calm down Hunk before everything exploded in their faces, which had caught Keith by surprise.

It felt horrible to watch the team he had been apart of so long and now was supposed to lead just… shatter. Keith missed the comfort of piloting Red. At least, he knew what he was doing then.

The Black Lion was slower and had a very different temperament from Red, which was to say it wasn’t as keen to follow stupid impulses. Keith had kept an eye on Lance and Red, partly because it felt odd to see his former partner teamed up with Lance and partly because he was worried how the two of them would get along.

Keith had felt instant kinship with Red. The both of them were stubborn, impulsive, fast and capable. Keith knew he and Lance constantly were either arguing or playfully teasing each other, though it tended to be the former. However, other than a lack of handling Red’s speed and agility, the pair of them seemed to be getting along.

What did this say of himself and Lance? Were they capable of getting better along?

Perhaps, not now that Keith had just led the whole team into a danger zone. Lotor had appeared to chase after Allura in the Blue Lion but the explosion had thrown Keith and the Black Lion off and he couldn’t find any of his teammates.

Until he found Red perched on an edge, seemingly staring him down disapproving, which Keith knew had to be Lance’s doing. He deserved it.

“What happened back there? Where’s the rest of the team?” Lance asked accusingly and Keith sunk down in his seat.

Keith knew that Lance wouldn’t yell at him for his stupidity, at least not out here when they were vulnerable and lost. He didn’t need to either. The guilt was already threatening to tear Keith apart. This was another reason why he wasn’t fit to be the leader.

“This is all my fault. I followed him right into this trap. Everyone warned me but I didn’t listen. I put the entire team in jeopardy,” Keith said, not particularly to Lance, but it felt good to say it out loud. He needed to acknowledge his colossal mistake.

“Yeah, you kinda did,” Lance said but then his voice softened, ever so slightly. “But now we got to fix it.”

He was right, of course. Though Keith didn’t say it often, Lance was right a lot of the time. He was a huge asset on the team both for his piloting and fighting skills but also for his strategy.

“You’re right,” Keith said and took a steadying breath. “Let’s go.”

It was easier said than done. They were flying in absolute blind and they had no means of locating each other. The silence was growing increasingly awkward between them and Lance opened his mouth as he so often did.

He started chatting about how it was to fly Red and how it was so different from Blue. How he missed his old Lion a bit but he was excited to get to know Red better. Keith was on edge and would normally snap at Lance for indulging in essentially small talk when they were out on a mission but his constant chatter helped.

Keith hesitantly admitted that he missed Red’s speed and hadn’t realized how much he’d come to depend on it. Lance didn’t laugh at him for the admission but hummed in understanding instead.

Allura found them. She’d been clever enough use Blue’s special weapon to map out their surroundings by sound and thus had been able to locate them. Lance praised her and Blue but Keith caught the weird undertone in the statement. Lance sounded slightly sad about it for some reason.

The three of them quickly found Pidge and Hunk who were very happy to see them. Undoubtedly, Hunk had already resigned to a fate of starving to death in his Lion or something.

Keith took on the leader role he was still not comfortable with and said what he could think of to give them courage to form Voltron. It was the only real solution here because then they would be together and have the mental connection to make up for where their equipment was failing.

“We have to keep trying. We may have come here, fragmented and disorganized, but the only way we’re getting out of here is if we work together. This is our team. Shiro believed in us. We have to believe in ourselves. Who’s with me?”

Everybody shouted in agreement and Keith didn’t even try to push down the smile on his lips, like he sometimes did.

They formed Voltron successfully and Allura was ecstatic just like the rest of them had been during their first merge. It was daunting to be the head and body rather than the right arm but Keith let his instincts take over. When he didn’t dive in without looking, they served him pretty well.

They won the battle but the war was still a long way from done. They had survived, merged and conquered at least for now. Keith didn’t want to push them any harder. That had been his mistake in the first place.

“Pushing the team too hard is what got us into this mess in the first place. We’ll face him again when we’re ready.”

“Roger that, team leader,” Lance said in response and Keith almost flinched. Lance had obviously said so to show his support and Keith hadn’t know how much he’d needed words like that.

He’d been most worried about Lance after taking control of the Black Lion and the leadership that came with that. Hunk was too nice to make tough calls under panic and Pidge sought reassurance from others too much. Lance was an excellent shot and he had the right confidence for the position.

Confidence Keith felt he severely lacked himself. But in the end it had been the Lion decision and for some reason, it had chosen him over Lance.

The following week, Keith still didn’t feel much like a leader. When they had gone into the alternative reality, Allura had taken charge because they were her people and Keith had been glad to be spared the decision making, until it became apparent that the princess almost chose the wrong thing.

Seeing other reality Shiro had been a kick to the stomach. Sven had looked so much like Shiro, though less scared and painted by life. Thankfully, the odd accent had made it easy to forget, so Keith hadn’t constantly been reminded of their lost paladin.

Said lost paladin was found shortly after, half dead in a Galra fighter. The Black Lion had finally called out and been able to locate its former paladin. Shiro had to be in the healing pod for a long time.

Everyone was so relieved to have Shiro back, relatively safe and sound. He didn’t talk much about what had passed but he did cover the basics. Life felt fairly back to normal with no sighting of Lotor after he’d stolen the ore they’d taken from the comet.

Lance was the only one who acted out of sorts.

But then again, Keith wasn’t sure if he really had a good feel on Lance to begin with. He was flirty and goofy one moment and homesick and filled with doubt the next. Plainly, Lance confused him.

With Shiro out of the healing pod and back in his room, Keith finally began to wonder when would be a good time to hand over leadership back to Shiro. He didn’t worry much about who would pilot which Lions as clearly they had their own idea of that. But he still wasn’t sure he could carry the leadership burden. But he couldn’t hand it back to Shiro before the black paladin was well again.

“If you’re feeling up to it, the rest of the team would love to see you up and around again. They need you, you know,” Keith said. They needed Shiro. He still needed Shiro.

“Yeah, I’ll try.”

“Okay, we’ll be on the bridge.”

“Hey Keith?” Shiro called out as Keith passed the threshold. He stopped and looked back into the darkened room.

“Yeah?”

“How many times are you going to have to save me before this is over?” Shiro asked.

“As many times as it takes,” Keith replied without hesitation. Shiro was part of the team as was Lance, Hunk, Pidge, Allura and Coran. They didn’t leave teammates behind.

Later when he found Lance of all people knocking on his door, he instantly worried something had happened. But Lance didn’t look like it was an urgent or a life or death situation. However, Keith knew it had to be important for Lance to seek him out to begin with.

Keith knew it must have to do how Lance had acted odd ever since they had gotten Shiro back.

“Hey man. I just wanted to talk to you because… well, because I’ve been worrying about something.”

Lance sounded almost timid to be bringing it up. Keith tried to tease him, like they often did, in the hopes that it lightened the mood.

“Must really be bothering you if you’re coming to talk to me.”

“Well, I mean, you’re the leader now, right?” Lance said and though he looked awkward, he didn’t sound unsure about that. Lance still saw him as the team leader even with Shiro back in the picture.

 

“I guess,” he said.

It startled him because he’d felt off balance since they found Shiro as his leadership felt like it was ending any day now. Shiro knew what he was doing and Keith had only been turned into the leader because Shiro was gone. Now Shiro was back and so he naturally drifted toward being the impulsive loner again.

“I’ve being doing some math. With Shiro back, that makes six paladins but there are only five lions and if I’m right, that’s one paladin too many,” Lance said and adorably held up his pinky finger. When counting who ended on their little finger? Lance did, evidently.

“Solid math,” Keith agreed in a neutral voice. He knew where this was heading. It had been inevitable with six paladins and only five Lions.

“When Shiro takes over the Black Lion, you’re going to want your Red Lion back. If I get a Lion, I’d have to take Blue from Allura. But she’s progressed a lot faster than any of us did. She might even be able to unlock powers we don’t know of,” Lance said and Keith could tell it was something he’d pondered for a long time.

“That’s true,” Keith agreed.

“So, maybe the best thing I can do for the team is step aside,” Lance said.

Keith had not seen that coming. He tried to hide the surprise on his face.

“What are you talking about?”

Lance could not be serious. Quitting the team? Stepping aside? He was vital to the team. Him and Red had made fast progress too and though it had hurt that someone else would pilot Red, Keith was so happy that it was Lance of all people. He’d seen the bond Lance and Blue had and he knew Lace would take good care of Red too.

“This isn’t a participation game. This is war. And you want your best soldiers on the front lines.”

Keith was fuming on the inside. How long had Lance been running around with these thought inside of his head? He was putting himself down and it wasn’t even close to accurate. If they needed their best soldiers as according to Lance’s war metaphor, then they needed him. He was one of their best without a doubt.

“Stop worrying about who flies what and just focus on your missions,” Keith said instead of all the things that were flying around in his head. He had to say something that would actually help Lance. “Things will work themselves out.”

“Okay. Thanks,” Lance said but he didn’t look convinced. Rather he looked like he was preparing himself for a life of sitting on the bench. Sitting on the bench was not a Lance activity at all. Keith had seen him fly. He had felt him when they formed Voltron. Lance loved being a paladin perhaps more than anyone on the team.

“And Lance?” Keith called out and waited for Lance to look at him. “Leave the math to Pidge.”

A small smile broke on Lance’s face and he didn’t need to say anything for Keith to know that that had been the exact reassurance that Lance had needed.

When the next mission came up, Keith purposely stepped aside to make room for Shiro. He stood next to the chair, letting Shiro sit, he bowed out during the briefing and he said Shiro should pilot the Black Lion.

The Lion, however, didn’t intend to respect Keith’s choice.

“Keith, I’m going to need you to lead this mission,” Shiro’s voice came over the speakers.

“What? What is it? What’s wrong?”

“The Black Lion isn’t responding to me. It look like you’re its true paladin now.”

Those words stung a lot, which probably weren’t what Shiro had meant them to. It felt wrong. The Black Lion was Shiro’s Lion! It wasn’t Keith’s. Red had been Keith’s but then again now, Red was Lance’s. And Blue’s were Allura’s. But that meant that it left their leader without a Lion. Keith had known the parings would work itself out but he hadn’t seen it turning out like this. However, now wasn’t a time for contemplation. It was a time for action.

“I’m coming down.”

The battle was a mess and Keith hated having to make a choice between going after Lotor or letting them get away with the teladuv. He wanted them so desperately to have time for both but that wasn’t how hard choices worked. Shiro’s word of advice made him chose, even if he did so a little differently.

The teladuv got destroyed and Lotor escaped. The Galra prince’s motives for the teladuv and the ore were still not clear to them. Keith felt like everything he touched fell apart.

Unsurprisingly, Shiro came to seek him out after they came back.

“I’m sorry I had to step in back there,” he said.

“I thought I had it under control.”

Keith’s voice wavered for a moment. He got so focused on a task sometimes that it was the only thing he was able to see. Before Shiro had been the only one even capable of pulling him out of something like that. In Shiro’s absence, Lance had managed to do the same.

“You need to learn to pick your battles. Sometimes, you have to make hard choices.”

“I’m no good at this,” Keith said and voiced his worst fear.

“Yes, you are,” Shiro assured him. “It was your quick thinking that prevented Lotor from getting away with the teludav. You’re going to get there. The Black Lion has chosen you. I’m proud of you, Keith.”

It meant so much to have him say that. In many ways, Shiro was the father figure Keith had never had. It was the reason he was going to keep looking for him if he ever disappeared again. Finding and rescuing Shiro wouldn’t ever measure up to what the man had done for him. He had been so lost but Shiro had believed in him.

And through looking for Shiro, he had found Lance, Pidge and Hunk and together they had found the Blue Lion and Alteans and Voltron. Keith had gotten a family because of Shiro.

After they finished their chat, Keith walked back down to the Black Lion’s hangar intending to try to feel out their bond and confirm whether Shiro was right about his true paladin speech.

Keith had not expected to find Lance sitting there, talking to the Black Lion. He knew the polite thing was to cough and make Lance aware that he had walked into the hangar but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

He was curious as to why Lance was in here. He had no real business to be talking to the Black Lion. As the team leader, it was Keith’s responsibility to look after the team, right?

“I understand that you’re the mighty Black Lion, head and body of Voltron and all that, but could you look out for him anyway? I know you chose him but I can see that he was surprised that you didn’t welcome Shiro back,” Lance said to the still Lion.

Keith stepped a little closer, out in the middle of the room, almost to dare Lance to take his focus from the Lion but he kept staring straight ahead. He was sat cross-legged on the ground and craned his neck back to look up at the Lion’s face.

“I think we were all a little surprised that Keith emerged after he’d stepped aside for Shiro. But neither of them should be the one that stepped aside. They are amazing pilots and leaders… well, Keith is having some trouble being a leader but I know he can get there. He will get there. He’s so worried about doing well, that all his effort have to turn him into a great leader.”

Keith gulped, knowing that he should speak up and that Lance wasn’t giving him permission to hear these things. Then again, it felt a little like payback for the time when Lance had caught him talking to Red.

The Black Lion had just accepted him and he had felt it necessary to bid Red a proper goodbye and seek the Lion’s consul, even if it couldn’t speak in words. Lance had surprised him and he’d been snappy and rude. He regretted that now but there was no way to take it back.

“What did you feel when I tried to be your paladin?” Lance asked the Lion, still oblivious of Keith’s presence. “I tried my very best to resonate with you but… I fell short. I’m clearly not the paladin I thought I was. When Blue rejected me afterwards, I thought that was it and I wouldn’t be part of Voltron anymore. But Red… it still feels like Keith’s Lion at times but it’s beginning to feel like mine too. I’m learning to control its temper; it’s a lot like Keith in that way. They’re both quite hot-headed and coincidently looks good in red.”

Keith caught the odd compliment but he wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“Keith said not to worry about the numbers but if I’m not out, then Shiro is and that’s not right either but Allura is learning so fast with Blue, so it’s not like we can demote her either. I don’t know what to do… Can you keep a secret, Black?”

At this Keith cleared his throat, effectively making Lance jump about three feet in the air. He might have been eavesdropping and he was curious to know what secret Lance had wanted to tell the Black Lion but it wasn’t his place to obtain a secret from someone he cared about without their knowledge.

“Keith!” Lance’s voice came out more like a high-pitched squeak.

“Sorry,” Keith said and scratched the back of his head. “I just came to check up on my Lion. I didn’t expect to find you here.”

Even with Lance’s complexion, red rose to his cheeks. Keith wasn’t sure if it was from the scare or embarrassment.

“I’m just making rounds, you know. Talking to all the Lions so I stay on good terms with them.”

“Yeah, I heard you thought I had trained Red to eat you,” Keith couldn’t help but say. When Allura had told him, he’d found it so funny. Lance’s cheeks turned redder.

“Well, you might have. Red was awfully hostile for a long time, not unlike its previous paladin,” Lance said and crossed his arms defensively. “How long were you standing there?”

“A little while,” Keith admitted. “Long enough to know that you’re an idiot if you consider Shiro or I superior to you. Even Shiro, who I know you used to worship –“

“ I didn’t worship him!” Lance interrupted but Keith didn’t stop talking.”

“– even he had problems. I know what Pidge said about you being a goofball hit kind of hard. And proclaiming your self a ninja or whatever was a bit much, but you have excellent aim and Red is lucky to have you for a paladin.”

Lance visible gulped and then pulled nervously on his collar.

“You being the loner aren’t strictly true, not anymore at least. You were in the beginning and when things get tough you try to do it on your own. It makes sense that it’s your first response because you were orphaned… but things are different now, buddy. You can’t forget that you have a team that want to follow you and not because of this new leader position but because you are part of our team, Keith. We just don’t want you to do something stupid.”

“Like getting handcuffed by an alien seducing you?” Keith volunteered and he was smiling now. Lance had figured him out but he didn’t say it as if isolating himself was something to be looked down upon. Keith appreciated that.

“ONE TIME! It happened one time!” Lance protested.

Keith snorted at Lance’s dramatic reaction. It was always so fun to get a rise out of Lance.

“True, but the point still stands. Actually, I wanted to thank you for the last couple of weeks. Ever since the Black Lion accepted me, I’ve been difficult… I didn’t want to be the leader, I just wanted Shiro back and now that we got him I thought everything would just go back to normal but that isn’t how it works. But I’m happy to have you right next to me, helping me out and keeping me in check.”

Lance practically beamed at that. “Somebody has to take care of you, grumpy. But honestly, thanks for reassuring me when I doubted myself. It’s a stupid reflex whenever something goes wrong. I feel inadequate, especially when working with such a great team.”

“We need you more than you know, Lance. I couldn’t imagine Voltron without you.”

“And you will make a great leader, Keith. With you at the head, I’m sure we will go on to accomplish more than we can imagine. We just need to stick together.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Reblog on Tumblr](http://secretlywritingstories.tumblr.com/post/164336445903/the-goofball-and-the-loner-in-new-lions-klance)
> 
>  
> 
> What did you think of it? Like you probably noticed most of the dialogue is canon from the show but I did add an extra hangar scene in both parts. I really like the character development of those two. I can't wait to see where season 4 takes them, both as individuals and as a team. 
> 
> I'd appreciate any feedback. 
> 
> Find more of my stories under my profile or at https://www.wattpad.com/SecretNRB & http://secretlywritingstories.tumblr.com


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